Nickolls & Perks

Exciting News! 👨🎓👩🎓 A huge congratulations to Isobel, Lucia, Steve, and Jack on successfully achieving their Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 2 Award!  Our in-store and sales/marketing team continues to grow from strength to strength. Be sure to join us in celebrating their fantastic achievement below! 🎉 #NickollsPerks

We enjoyed a fantastic Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion masterclass at The Oyster Club last week, hosted by Les Carmes Haut-Brion Commercial Director, Thibaut Richard. It was an incredible evening of exceptional wines and insightful stories. Read all about our experience in our latest blog ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ed3GK_Rj #NickollsPerks

Meet the team! Jordan Jakeways, our Finance Office Manager kicked off his journey with us as an apprentice and has since become a key player at N&P. These days, he’s the go-to for all things finance, leading the team and keeping the business running smoothly behind the scenes! What’s your favourite Wine or Dram? I’m not much of a drinker, which doesn’t bode well for working at N&P. However, I recently tried the Dopff Au Moulin Riesling, and I have to admit, I really enjoyed it. When it comes to spirits, though, the N&P Ben Nevis 26 Year Old is my top choice. I had the chance to try it at last year’s whisky festival, and I found it absolutely sublime. What’s your favourite local restaurant? One place that comes to mind, which has become a staple for birthdays in my family, is Indiluxe in Amblecote, Stourbridge—a lovely Indian restaurant that I highly recommend. What’s your desert island drink? I’d have to say Sex on the Beach is my go-to on an all-inclusive holiday. I could drink them all day and night—and I have haha! What’s your favourite band/artist? It’s hard to pick a favourite since I have such a vast music taste, but if I had to choose something more old school, I’d say U2. You can definitely catch me at karaoke belting out ‘With or Without You’! What’s something you think is totally overrated? Coffee in general? I just don’t see the hype. The smell is atrocious, and the taste—no, thank you! I can’t ever see myself becoming a coffee drinker. and finally, What’s your guilty pleasure? I like to say I’m not into musicals, but Mamma Mia!—that’s a different story. If I’m ever requesting a song from the DJ, it’s definitely ABBA! #NickollsPerks

Ahead of our upcoming 'Journey through South American Vines' cellar tasting, it's the perfect time to explore how altitude impacts wine production. In this blog, we'll dive into the profound effects of altitude, especially in South America, where it's integral to the region's unique wine styles. Read Blog -> bit.ly/3Y4g4Us Book Tasting -> bit.ly/3MY1fxI #NickollsPerks

We are delighted to announce Nickolls & Perks are a finalist for Drinks Retailing Awards Independent Spirits Retailer of the Year 2025. Our team have been pushing this category harder than ever in recent years by ensuring our selection is one of the very best, growing and supporting the team through spirits education, a whole host of exclusive releases, the recent launch of our own-label brand, alongside an ever-growing events calendar - welcoming 1,000 attendees and over 100 brands to the 20th Midlands Whisky Festival last weekend. Next stop - the black-tie awards dinner at The Dorchester Hotel, London in February - wish our team the best of luck! #DrinksRetailing #DrinksRetailingAwards #NickollsPerks

Meet the team! Stepping on the other side of the camera is Jack, our Marketing & Social Media Manager, the man who shoots all the content you see on our social channels and in your e-mail inboxes. What’s your favourite Dram? The Glendronach 29-Year-Old Grandeur is my all-time favourite dram tasted as a dream dram last year at Midlands Whisky Festival. However, if we are talking about a dram I always go back to that would have to be Weller 12. What’s your favourite local restaurant? Tropea, I went there recently for my wedding anniversary and could not fault a thing. What’s your desert island drink? Easy question, Guinness. If it could be to the standard of The Gravediggers in Dublin that would be perfect. What’s your favourite Band/Artist? Currently, it would have to be Midland the first 3 singles on their upcoming album have been on repeat all year. Of all time Arctic Monkeys. What’s something you think is totally overrated? Starbucks, the coffee is awful and their other drinks are 90% sugar. and finally, What’s your guilty pleasure? The Kardashians, I have to 'Keep up' with what's going on with those girls haha. #NickollsPerks #MeetTheTeam

EXCITING UPDATE! As some of our local Stourbridge customers may have noticed, we have been making some significant changes to the back of our shop. Over the past few months, we have been busy creating a brand new space at Nickolls & Perks, a retail tasting room that will not only expand our events offering but improve the shopping experience here as a whole. More information (and photos) about the opening will be available very soon! #NickollsPerks

Meet the team! Rhian Gardener is our Operations Manager, a vital cog in the N&P wheel helping to ensure the business runs smoothly from stock management to order processing and delivery. What’s your favourite Wine? “I had a 2002 Dom Perignon Magnum at my wedding in Cornwall this year - that was pretty special, paired with a Cornish Pasty of course!” What’s your favourite local restaurant? “I think the @theroedeerpub is great, their chocolate brownie is hard to beat.” What’s your desert island drink? “Hot chocolate, I got a Velvetiser for Christmas last year and I’ve had to start limiting how many I have!” What’s your favourite band/artist? “I’ve got quite a varied taste in music, but if I had to choose I think Adele is amazing.” What’s something you think is totally overrated? “Coffee - there are a few people in the office who I’ll upset with this, but I just don’t get it!” What’s your guilty pleasure? “Dolly Parton, she is the Queen of Country!” #NickollsPerks #MeetTheTeam

Meet the team! Shane Hanson is our Logistics & Delivery Driver, the man who keeps all of our on-trade clients across the Midlands stocked up with wine & spirits. What’s your favourite dram? "A dram I will always love and go back to again and again is Ardbeg Uigeadail." What’s your favourite local restaurant? "Being relatively new to the area, I’ve not been to many local restaurants yet, but a place I really enjoyed is Baked in Brick. Bonus shoutout to Tilt Birmingham It’s not a restaurant, but I love getting a coffee from them after a delivery." What’s your desert island drink? "As you can tell from my favourite dram, I’m a big fan of peat. Any of the Octomore .3 editions are amazing—the peatier, the better." What’s your favourite band/artist? "Anson Seabra. I recently saw him in Birmingham; he did not disappoint!" What’s something you think is totally overrated? "Nando’s... like really, I do not get the hype at all!" What’s your guilty pleasure? "Tiramisu. I’m lactose intolerant—haha!" #NickollsPerks #MeetTheTeam

Meet the N&P team! For our first “Meet the Team,” we have a man who needs no introduction! You’ve seen him frequently on our social media, from hosting spirits tastings in our cellars to being an excellent hand model...Spirits Specialist, Steven Cook. In this series, we will be asking the Nickolls & Perks team a few questions so you can get to know the people who make N&P tick. "What’s your favourite Dram?" It's always a tricky question for a booze geek. Something peated in a port cask. "What’s your favourite local restaurant?" The Old Wharf Inn. I'll be there for another top-draw Sunday roast this month. "What’s your desert island drink?" Another toughie. A bourbon, perhaps. If you find any islands with Michter's 20 Year Old on tap, let me know. "What’s your favourite Band/Artist?" I'm a big fan of shoegaze-y style stuff like Stumbleine, Tourist or M83, they're great for a road trip. "What’s something you think is totally overrated?" Nightclubs. Too loud. Give me an old-school boozer, taproom or swanky bar any day. "...and finally What’s your guilty pleasure?" Horlicks. I'm already accused of being older than my years. A hot cup of Horlicks certainly doesn't do that reputation any favours. #NickollsPerks #MeetTheTeam